Monster that They see

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Dr. Richard A. Fields sat at his desk, wonder how things had been going magnificently and then fall to the earth like a lead balloon.    His right shoulder was still in a cast, and every so often it throbbed with pain as if the claw was still embedded in his skin.  He popped a few pain killers to dull it down, when he heard a knock on his office door.

“Enter.” He said in a low grumble.

A guard entered and did a quick salute. 

“Sir, the NT pack is ready.  We are awaiting your approval before we release them.”

Dr. Fields studies the man for a second. 

“Do they understand their mission?” Dr. Fields asks, looking at the man over his half moon glasses.

“Yes sir, they understand.  They will capture the girl and kill the creature if possible.”

Dr. Fields glared at this naive man.

“That girl is my daughter and she will be returned unharmed or I will hold you responsible.  As for the creature, they will not kill it.  That right is reserved for me alone, and I want him to come to me, understand?”

The guard stuttered that he understood, terrified by his boss’s sudden shift in mood.  Dr. Fields waved a hand dismissing him.  He gave a quick salute and then left the room in a panic.  Dr. Fields leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.  He still did not understand how he had gotten caught up in this.  The offer had been irresistible.  He can still remember that day as if it had just happened.

He had just gotten his doctorate in genetics and bioengineering a few months prior.  He had started working in the university lab, going in early every morning and leaving late every night.  One day while he was leaving the lab at midnight, a black limousine slowly pulled up to him.  It stopped just in front of him and the back window rolled down.  Inside sat a large man with sausage fingers, each finger having a large ring on it.  He was in a navy blue business suite, he wore a red tie with a diamond stud set in the middle. 

“Dr. Fields I would like to have a word with you.” He said in a gravelly voice, opening the door.

“Why should I listen to you?”

“Because I have an offer that you can’t refuse.”

Richard Fields thought for a second, and deciding he had nothing to lose by listening, got into the vehicle.  The inside of the limo was very plush, complete with a small refrigerator and martini maker.  On the roof was a small skylight that let in the soft glow from the street lights. 

“Can I interest you in a drink?” The man said, opening the mini fridge.

“No thank you, now what is this offer of yours?” Fields asked impatiently.

The man closed the fridge, took out an ivory pipe with obsidian patterns on it.

“I hear you have acquired your doctorate.” He said, lighting his pipe.

Fields nods in acknowledgement.

“I have also heard you have a fondness for dinosaurs and you’ve been putting in long hours at the lab, practically moved in.  That’s devotion, and devotion such as yours deserves to be rewarded.”  The man said taking a puff from his pipe.

“What do you mean?” Fields said starting to feel a little suspicious of this man.

“How would you like your own lab, stocked with all the dino DNA you could dream of?”

“What is the catch?” Fields asks raising an eyebrow.

“You will work for us, you will have to leave immediately, tonight in fact.  You can’t tell anyone where you’re going or what you’re working on.  You will virtually disappear, and I must warn you.  What you will be doing for us will be revolutionary, it will change genetics.  But most people will view your work as unethical.”